1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a directory frame for use in combination with a shopping cart, and more particularly to a directory frame of a display card holder which receives a shopping directory card or advertisement placard and which may be removably attached to a shopping cart.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, large shopping centers and food markets typically have thousands of items of products stacked on shelves and arranged in aisles. These thousands of products are typically grouped together wherein they are essentially the same product but differ in brand or manufacturer. As is often the case, the department store or food store can assist the shopper by indicating in which aisles particular items my be found. For example, a shopping directory may be hung from a ceiling or placed in a stand at either end of an aisle. There are several problems associated with directories which must be hung from the ceiling over a particular area of the store or above a certain aisle. For example, in a very large store it is often difficult to see what is in a particular aisle or in a particular section of the store when one is located at the opposite end of the store. Also, because the printing on such directories must be large enough to be readable from a distance, fewer items can be listed on such a directory. Finally if the store relocates a certain product, the directory will have to be changed or replaced.
In an effort to solve such problems, the applicant's co-pending application No. 08/093,514, filed Jul. 19, 1993, describes a directory holder which may be mounted directly on a shopping cart. The directory holder of this reference allows directory and advertising placards or cards to be carried directly on the shopping cart for easy reference by a shopper. The directory holder may comprise a pair of backing members which are mounted back-to-back in the area of the basket of the shopping cart, with a vertical wire wall of the cart positioned between the pair of directory holders. In particular, the directory holder has a frame member which is removably attached to each of the backing member with the aid of a coupling device. Moreover, the directory holder is designed so that the frame member can withstand frequent collisions with other shopping carts and yet allow the placard retained between the backing member and the frame member to be easily changed to substitute a revised directory or a new advertisement.
However, for some applications, it may be desirable that the directory holder be much more compact and thinner without sacrificing the durability and the ability to easily change the placard. In addition, it may also be desirable to simplify the structure of a mechanism to clamp the placard between the backing member and the frame member without sacrificing the effectiveness in clamping the placard therebetween.